Death & Ms Dasey
by ThePersephone
Summary: After the defeat of Thanos On a nice day on the streets of Brooklyn, Bucky's mistaken for someone else and assaulted, sexually. The blushing redhead is horrified when the man she patted on the bum definitely isn't who she thought it was, but she sure seems like a ball of fun. Maybe enough to bring a little of the old Buck back? (Corrected & Updated)
1. Chapter 1

**Death & Ms. Dasey**

 **Disclaimer** : The Avengers and all related characters belong to Marvel and their incredible creators. I make no monetary profit from this work it is only for entertainment.

 **Spoiler Warning** / **Author's Note** : I am being a bad and lazy fandom author for this little work. I really just want to write some fluff with plot that will turn into smut with a little plot. So! **This work is set after whatever "fix" there will be created by the incredible Marvel cinematic universe comes up with after Infinity Wars.** I am just running with the idea that Thanos has been defeated for a few years, and now that those that normally inhabit are trying to find their new normal.

 _Women are meant to be loved,_

 _not to be understood._

 _Oscar Wilde_

 **Chapter 1: Hey Handsome**

It was late in the evening when two men came to a stop in Brooklyn. Their powerful frames cut through the crowded streets with ease, eyes peeled for the one who was set to join them. One of the men was dressed in a canvas jacket and leather gloves, despite the early fall weather.

"Sam said he would meet us in front of the place", Steve frowned, looking at his phone.

His friend only gave a grunt, still looking about for the man in question.

In all honesty, they were only in the city for a few days for meetings at the Stark Tower. Stark had made some efforts to patch things up with Bucky, but lingering on his turf still made the ex-winter soldier edgy. They had fought side by side since then, a few times actually, but more normal activities were not as easy. There was no common enemy to distract them. Stark, for his part, seemed to be too busy celebrating his recent wedding to pay much attention to him at the first meeting, and for the sake of the team both the soldiers hoped that would continue for the rest of the week.

"How is he always late?" Bucky rolled his eyes.

Steve gave him a bright smile, and he fought to match it. Even if Sam was late and he was hungry, and he could smell the damn food inside who cares. They were back in their old stomping grounds, and that felt good.

"Hey handsome, who's your friend?" A feminine voice chirped playfully just behind them, and a distinct swat flew over his backside.

Bucky in all his years as a trained assassin, and now as something of a soldier again, had learned to trust his gut when it came to threats. The petite woman who had seemed to be approaching the restaurant and in the process them certainly was not a threat. Yet, she now stood round eyed in shock still holding her hand out from where she had playfully spanked him. Her dark blue orbs darted over his face and she took a step back as her cheeks flushed prettily.

"Not Johnny", she muttered, mostly it seemed to herself, clearly horrified by her mistake.

"No ma'am", Steve chuckled with a grin so wide it might leave his face sore tomorrow.

His voice seemed to snap her out of a reviere, and she threw her hands up as her cheeks took on a shade of cherry, "I'm so sorry! I thought…"

Her rushed apology tapered off as she took in Steve's face under his baseball cap. Her rust colored hair shifted against her shoulders as the light of recognition came to her face. Then, the process seemed to repeat for the dark haired man she had accosted. Her hands raked through her thick waves rustling them free from her leather jacket as the full extent of her crime came to realization.

Bucky felt a smile pull at his lips as the pretty young woman fretted, so he tried to reassure her, "No harm done really."

She blinked up at him, chewing her pink lips, "I'm so sorry." She looked between them and hung her head, "I'm gonna go find a rock to hide under."

Steve watched her scurry into the restaurant before turning to him with that damn grin again. He was rocking back and forth on his heels to try to contain his mirth. Sam chose that moment to arrive and Steve was all too happy to tell him just what had happened. Those two decided a table near the booth the girl had been seated at was a grand idea also. Sam and Steve declared that a threat should be watched after all. Bucky sent Sam a withering glare, but it was nice to see his pretty little attacker.

For her part, she was oblivious to them. She toyed with her phone and spoke with the waiter. Her hands occasionally fiddled with her jacket or smoothed nervously over her skinny jeans. Then, just as their own waitress was setting out their drinks a man walked in with a suspiciously similar jacket to the canvas one Bucky was sporting. He was also around Bucky's height and wore his long dark hair in a low ponytail. His brown eyes pinned the little redhead and a devious smirk rolled over his mouth.

Steve honed in on this and gaped when the man hauled her out of the booth to spin her about. He covered her cheek in a smattering of loud and foolish kisses making her giggle. He looked at her wolfishly though when he set her down and laughed.

"It's not funny Johnny!" she stomped in of her boots.

"Oh, but darling it is!" He barked out laughing again and spun her around and swatted at her well curved bottom to urge her into the booth, "Spanking a stranger!"

"I feel so stupid", she pouted while her friend happily scooted in next to her where he lounged placidly with a shark-like grin.

"Oh my love, you are not stupid. You are just prone to doing stupid things, but you are terribly charming when you do it. If you were in a short skirt I am sure the poor man would have had no choice but to buy you lunch", he purred to her.

"I blame you", she muttered.

The occupants of just a table away watched on with interest. Sam was pleased that she had moved along quietly, even after recognizing them. Steve had that look though. The Captain was thinking and it made Bucky feel oddly in reverse to when they were young men in these streets.

Sam grinned, and ripped away some of the cheese sticks. "Looks like tall, dark and scary could have had a date."

Bucky snorted, "It's a better story this way."

Sam and Steve exchanged looks, but seemed to leave it be. The girl only told her friend it was a stranger. So, the anecdote could be safely tucked away with little mess it seemed. Flirting had once been his easiest skill. He often had no trouble securing double dates for both he and Steve back in the day, and usually ended up entertaining them both when Steve found somewhere to wander off to. Now though, it was best to keep things simple. Women and simple rarely went together, and he held onto what stability he had with both hands these days.

He was happy to eat his fill and see the playful little woman do the same. Listen to Sam's jokes about the Stark tower and its ostentatiousness. Watch the little redhead laugh and smile at the man she had mistaken him for. Well, he was until his gut tightened.

A new figure walked in, and immediately he felt his muscles clench. Steve and Sam caught on quickly, and it was as though there was a countdown until something predictably bad happened. It was in those adrenaline fueled seconds Bucky noted his adorable attacker had left her seat and was wandering to the front to pay. There was a click and she back peddled into their view again, her steps cautiously backward and her hands in tight fists, with a gun pointed at her nose.

He was moving before the robbers could issues out their cliches. One he flung against the wall, and with another step he launched himself at the man holding a gun to the woman. Steve was already working on the few who had tried to scurry away, and Sam was calling in local authorities while checking the street. After the robbers were all subdued, the girl whirled to look at him, and those blue eyes were so dark and lovely.

"Are you ok?" she stepped closer and her voice was so genuinely worried he laughed.

"That's my line Dollface", he smirked as the words drew another pretty blush to her face.

She nodded with a grin, and followed the police officers orders and sat back in her booth alone. Her Johnny had to go back to work, and had missed all the action, again. She answered questions politely for the police, and he watched her leave from a safe distance. It wasn't what he wanted out of the playful encounter, but he'd take it.

"Dollface?" Sam snickered back at their suite in Stark Tower.

Steve gave a grin, "That used to be Buck's go to line for his favorite girls."

Bucky pointedly ignored them. He let Sam tell Steve he had called the girl the pet name from way back when. He just smiled to himself at the bit of fun the day had brought. It had been a damn long time since he flirted with a pretty girl, and it was enough to let him rest a little easier.

Tony lifted a brow as he skimmed the report. Steve had done a good job of wrapping it up quickly and quietly. No gun had been fired. However, the genius was far more enthused by the same thing Steve was. In one of the camera shots, you could actually see it. Bucky was smiling. He was down right grinning at the young woman who blushed and nodded along to whatever he said.

Tony pet his chin as he studied her face once the captain was gone. She was familiar, but he wasn't sure exactly from where. Pepper would know, and he was all too eager to tell her the story. As it would happen later that night, Pepper had a name for the face with no software needed.

"That's Dasey Kelly", Pepper pointed to the girl's face from where where they were settling into bed.

Tony watched her apply her lotion to her long legs, and waited for his wife's encyclopedic mind to help him, "She is that traveling photographer who works with charities. You have invited her to the gala on Friday the foundation is hosting. You should talk some of the team into going for the publicity since the benefit is for charity organizers and their work."

Tony perked at her words like a puppy to a shiny toy, "That is a wonderful idea."

Pepper scowled at him, "And why is it only just now wonderful. Not the previous two times I mentioned it."

Tony only grinned at her wickedly.

"You should try to pull the feathers out of your mouth before you talk them into going", Pepper snickered.

"Why did this suddenly become a requirement?" Sam grunted straightening his tie.

Natasha moved in to help him, "Stark wants us to draw in more people and loosen their wallets. The people he's showing off are all charity organizers and such."

"Yah, well I had a date", Sam grumbled, but allowed her to finish.

Bucky chose to keep his mouth shut, but he shifted his weight in his boots. Even if they managed to get him a suit on short notice he insisted on wearing his boots under the slacks. Dress shoes just didn't feel right. Steve convinced him to go to a barber with him, and they both had their hair trimmed and beards shaped. It wouldn't be half bad if he didn't have to go to some big function and be paraded about.

Once inside he stuck to the edges of the crowd. Tony threw a good party, and people were certainly excited to see members of the team. He just wasn't high on the list for them, and it was easy enough for him to slink away when the time was right. Steve was having a good time though. The Captain was shaking hands dutifully and smiling for photos.

Bucky missed being able to get drunk. The serum had taken that from them both, and he could use a drink right about now with all the people bustling about. Tony's voice caught his attention nearby, and he turned to see the billionaire chatting away in his normal public fashion. He cocked his head at the person who Tony was so eager to talk to though.

There stood the girl from before. The now infamous girl in his mind. She stood in heeled leather boots, but still only rose to Tony's shoulder. Her long rust colored hair was swept up on her head while her bangs drifted over her eyes and angled along her cheeks. She wasn't wearing a tight cocktail dress, but rather an a-line little number in black. It drew to her narrow waist and a sweetheart neckline swept over the pleasant curves of her chest. The skirt gathered in pleats about her thighs, but was rather short though she sported sheer tights with pin dots scattered about over lovely legs.

Her ruby painted lips were worried by her teeth as she tried to listen to the man invading her personal space. Her pretty little nose crinkled like she could smell the trap, and she shoved her hands in the pockets of her dress hidden among the skirt. Her lashes fluttered down as she found her boots suddenly interesting.

"Oh, she's awfully cute. I'd let her get a swing in on me too", Nat's voice made him jump.

Bucky rolled his eyes, but whispered conspiratorially, "Why is she here?"

Nat shrugged, "She's either part of a charity, or she's got money to throw at one."

Tony's voice interrupted, "No really, I'll introduce you!"

Bucky looked up to find Tony ushering the young woman closer while she scrambled for any excuse to move in the opposite direction. Tony seemed to find a charming way to both haul her along and cut her excuse short. Though he could see the mortification on her face.

"Ah, just who I was looking for. Nat, Bucky this is Dasey Kelly. She is just so damn clever I might give her a healthy amount of funding. What do you think?" Tony smirked when he reached the pair.

"Nice to see you again dollface", Bucky reached out his ungloved hand, and was pleased when she blushingly took it.

Dasey was clearly eager to get away from the smooth talking man who had dragged her over. Her small hand was warm and soft in his own, and he marveled at how she leaned in to whisper, "Can I just say that I am so sorry, one more time?"

He felt his lips tug at one corner, but Nat pulled her attention forcefully, introducing herself to the young woman with a wink. It was rare for Nat to be so nice without proper motivation first. The russian assassin tugged the younger woman over to a couch, and peppered her with questions.

"So, what exactly do you do?" Nat smiled gently for someone so lethal.

Dasey crossed her legs, and seemed to relax under the guise that she was just talking to Nat even as Bucky and Tony stood right next to them. She smoothed out her dress, and smiled. The soldier felt his pulse quicken at the small quirk of her lips.

"I traipse around and do ridiculous things. I take photos along the way, and the good stuff makes money." Dasey shrugged.

"And does this business have a name?" Tony asked taking a seat across from them.

"Death and Ms. Dasey", the redhead squirmed under Tony's focus again.

Tony for his part wheezed over his whiskey, "You sure you two haven't been in business before?"

Dasey lifted a brow and sighed. Her mouth opened to say something, but a sudden ring came from her pocket. Her hand fished out her phone and she swiped at the screen. A soft curse fell from her lips, and she began to shuffle away. Her cobalt eyes sent him a soft glance.

"I'm sorry I have to go", Dasey said turning to leave.

Tony was on her heels though, "I wanted to talk to you about your projects though."

She lifted a brow moving toward and elevator, "You have samples of my work and the coordinating charities. You will fund them, or you won't."

Tony gave a grin, "But I wanted to talk to you."

Dasey stepped into the elevators with a shrug, "It's not about me."

Tony watched Natasha slink up to him running a hand through her platinum bob. Upon reaching him she snarked, "Good job."

"Yah, yah. My heart was in the right place." Tony scoffed and moved back to mingle with the crowd.

"Bucky, I think you should…" Natasha's head swiveled one, twice, and then it was confirmed to her. Bucky was no longer on the main floor of the gala. A smile curled her lips, "Or you are already on it."

Bucky made short work of crossing the party and taking the opposite elevator. Something burned in him. He didn't want to just watch this time. The doors opened with a soft chime, and he spotted the redhead at coat check. She was tugging on a familiar leather jacket which looked surprisingly well placed against her dress. He approached carefully and directly, against his every instinct.

She looked up with wide blue eyes, but she smiled shyly. "Hi again."

"Do you actually need to leave?" He smirked stepping closer so he could keep his voice low.

Her cheeks colored, but she nodded. "Yea, I was planning on just popping in here for a bit. It's my last night in town for a while, and I promised my best friend I would meet him at the fair."

Bucky felt his heart tug at the thought. He remembered celebrating his last night in town so many years ago, and dragging Steve along. He managed to draw out his voice after a moment, "Sounds fun."

She blinked a bit at his tone, and she took a small step closer so that her boots almost touched his. "You don't want to be here?"

He let out a bark of laughter, "No, not really."

Her lips quirked again she reached out her hand, "Want to go with me?"

Bucky blinked for a moment, and his hesitation urged her to continue. "I never got to thank you for saving me. I'll buy you a funnel cake."

He threw down his ticket to the coat check and took her hand. In a matter of two minutes he had swapped into his canvas jacket and fished a ball cap out of the pocket. She happily guided him along toward the subway station and far from uptown. Her cheeks had that adorable flush again, and she babbled about what would be at the fair back in Brooklyn.

She huddled close to him on the crowded train, and he enjoyed the excuse to be able to linger near her small frame. He almost balked when she turned to take him by the hand again, but this time it was his left, his gloved hand. She didn't falter though, and hurried along. He suddenly felt oddly nervous. He was used to holding guns, knives, controls, and tools in that hand, not anything so breakable.

Finally, they broke onto the surface and dead into the middle of the sprawling street fair. A man broke through the crowd with a wide smile. Dasey called out to him and waved. Bucky looked up to see his "twin" in matching canvas jacket with a low ponytail. His warm brown eyes took them in with mirth, and he reached out a hand.

"Johnny, and I imagine you are the man our little Dasey manhandled earlier this week?" He had a rich voice and smooth spanish accent.

Bucky shook his hand and muttered, "Bucky."

Johnny seemed to think for a moment, "Why is that name so familiar?"

Dasey toyed with a fallen lock of hair, as horror took over the man's face. He looked between them, and then hissed, "Did you try to feel up the tin-man of doom?"

Dasey twitched and swatted her friend on the arm a few times. It did nothing to deter him though and Johnny continued forcefully cuddling her into his side, "We just can't take the little kitten anywhere."

Bucky laughed at the pair. They were an ongoing run of quips and barbs, but while Johnny seemed a little scandalized by just who his friend had accosted earlier in the week, he also seemed to be encouraging her all the same. Johnny was a strange guy by Buck's sense of normalcy. He seemed to be turned on by anything that moved, and seemed a little miffed that his wing-woman had brought her own entertainment for the night. Thus, away from the task he had in mind for her.

Bucky was happy to follow along and watch the people at the fair laugh and smile unaware of his presence. His murderous resume didn't draw the same reaction as say "Captain America." There was also some fun to getting lost in a crowd in the open air. Though it didn't take long for Johnny to find a target, and prowl after them. Which left Bucky alone with Dasey again and the funnel cakes she insisted on buying. She found a favorable stoop and plopped down.

"So, what brings you to New York in the first place?" Bucky asked, taking a seat next to her.

She eyed him curiously before she answered. "Johnny mostly. Plus, there was that gala, and I had to do the set up meeting in person for it. But I take any excuse I can get to come back and see Johnny."

"Your best friend", Bucky commented.

She nodded while she chewed. She bumped her knee against his as she swallowed, "Why didn't you want to stay at the gala with your friends?"

He smirked licking the sugar from his fingers, "No funnel cake."

She rolled her eyes, but didn't press him any further. She did giggle though, her hand motioning to him something, but her laughter prevented any explanation. She scooted closer so that she was flush to his side and leaned up. Her smile was infectious as she tried again to give him some kind of signal to no avail.

"You are as bad as my brothers", she chided with a grin.

Her delicate fingers pet at the scruff of his beard and mustache. Her nails gently combed through the area near his jaw to smooth it out. He felt the powdered sugar shake from his face at her actions, but he didn't risk a comment. She was so close he could feel the warmth from her petite frame, and he wasn't eager to lose it.

"You're a mess", she huffed giving up on her attempts.

He felt his lips tug upwards as he gazed into her cobalt eyes, "You have no idea."

She lingered as she pondered his words. He couldn't help himself. It had been years, but the movement came naturally as if it were yesterday. His right arm curled around her, pressing her just a touch closer, and she arched willingly into his side. Before he knew what he was doing his gloved hand brushed some of the fallen locks of hair behind her ear. Yet, to his utter wonder she leaned into the touch and her lashes fell closed.

He brushed his mouth over her full lips tentatively. It was just a touch, but she was so warm and soft. She sighed invitingly as he began to pull away, and he decided it wasn't enough. She met him this time with a firm press and her hands rested on his chest. She tasted like the sugar from their treat, and met his lips in a languid caress. He pulled away, but felt her tip towards him to nuzzle her nose against his just to make his chest ache.

He licked his lips, "I didn't know they still made 'em like you."

She looped her arms around his neck, her fingers toyed pleasantly with his hair at the nape of his neck. Her eyes were dreamy, and her lips a little swollen from his kiss. She was still looking at him though, and it settled oddly in his heated brain. He stroked her jawline with his gloved hand, and as he leaned down for another taste his pocket vibrated.

He pulled back with a growl, "Damn it."

Her eyes went wide at the sudden change, but she actually tightened her grip and whispered. "What?"

He deftly thumbed the phone and saw the order to come in. They were leaving. A mission was called, and he needed to be there. His grey eyes fell on the girl curled into him and her concerned expression. He shoved the phone back away, and tried to save the menacing look for the people who were responsible for ending this moment.

"I gotta go", Bucky forced a smile for her benefit.

Her features fell, "Oh."

"Sorry doll", he muttered feeling the spell around them broken.

Dasey suddenly fiddled with her pockets, and after a second she pulled a small marker from her leather jacket. She used her teeth to pull the cap off and snatched his gloved hand. She scribbled on it, and he felt absolute pride when he saw the collection of numbers in red permanent ink.

She looked at him with that adorable smile putting the marker away, "Call me?"

He pulled her close again to press a kiss to her cheek, and lingered near her ear. "Anything you say Dasey Doll."

Author's note-

So, first thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it, and I will update it soon. Got to say I am VERY nervous about this one. Bucky is such a complex and wonderfully flawed character. It is so exciting to try to give him a little bit of a happy ending (hehe), but it's hell'a intimidating to take a swing at.

This has now been put through its paces by my darling Dragon!

Reviews are incredibly important to me because they are my only real way to gauge the audience. I welcome all feedback, so please let me know how I did! Thank you so much for reading!

Love,

Persephone


	2. Chapter 2

**Death & Ms. Dasey**

 **Disclaimer** : The Avengers and all related characters belong to Marvel and their incredible creators. I make no monetary profit from this work it is only for entertainment.

 **Spoiler Warning** / **Author's Note** : I am being a bad and lazy fandom author for this little work. I really just want to write some fluff with plot that will turn into smut with plot. So! This work is set after whatever "fix" there will be created by the incredible Marvel cinematic universe. I am just running with the idea that Thanos has been defeated for a few years, and now that those that normally inhabit are trying to find their new normal.

 _A ship is always safe at shore,_

 _But that is not what its built for._

 _Albert Einstein_

 **Chapter 2: Don't Just Stand There**

Dawn crept over the horizon as the quinjet touched down at the new compound. It was safely tucked away upstate, and the soft jolt of the landing heaved a sigh from those on board. Bucky had managed to avoid the knowing looks from those he was closer to on the team. Nat was on his heels though, and hissing questions at him now that they were officially off mission.

"So, why did we have to haul you off a rooftop in Brooklyn?" Nat smirked keeping a clipped pace at his side.

"Isn't that where she was from?" Steve jogged to come alongside them.

Bucky felt a smirk tug at his lips, but he kept silent. He was eager for a shower, and to pull the glove from where it was safely tucked away. They could come up with their theories, but the truth was his, and it tasted like sugar.

"I'm glad you all look safe", the always professional Pepper stood waiting in the lobby.

Her long blonde hair was swept up in a twist, and she wore a clever looking dress. Her smile was warm, but she was alone. No Tony was a red flag. She was also at the compound at dawn right after a gala the night before. Another flag. Steve stepped forward cautiously.

"Everything ok, Pepper?" Steve asked gently.

Her expression softened, and she embraced him warmly. "Oh, nothing like that. I just need to clean up a bit of a mess Tony made last night."

Bucky felt a stone settle in his stomach at the way she cast a worried smile his way. Her voice was gentle, "Bucky, I understand Tony did what he loves, and meddled a bit last night."

The dark haired super soldier lifted a brow, "It's Tony."

After all, it was almost a sign of affection from the head of the Stark empire when he tried to poke around in your personal life. Pepper's sad smile worried him though, she continued guiding them along. "I am afraid I am partly to blame. I should have known he was up to something when he asked about Dasey. She's a dear friend."

Bucky paused, and looked over her forced politeness on the matter. Another stone sinking to his gut. He was the winter soldier. A weapon for murder and terrible crimes by hydra for a very long time. He was not in control then, but considering how personal his crimes were to the Stark family he could understand if Pepper felt the need to step in.

He swallowed, "Do you not approve?"

Pepper's smile broke wide, and she tentatively reached out to the rough looking soldier. "I actually think this might be one of his better ideas, but…" Pepper lingered a moment, smoothing his worn gear, "There is something you should know."

Steve sent him a questioning look when Pepper opened a door to a small meeting room. Bucky nodded for him to go in. Nat lingered as well, so he hauled her in with him. He trusted them with whatever the hell Pepper was about to say. Pepper motioned for them to take a seat, and he roughly cracked open a bottle of water. She pressed a few buttons, and the room dimmed while a video display took over the wall behind her.

"Tony just heard me say that she was someone I knew and liked. He knew she was with the charity, so she didn't have any background flags. He didn't care about reading her file or that some of her work is already hanging in the apartment. He just took the need to know and ran with it." Pepper lingered a moment.

"So, what's the catch?" Nat leaned back in her chair eager to cut the tension.

"Dasey Kelly is a very nice young woman. I met her back when she first started and I was just Tony's assistant. She never asked for money, but she did ask me to teach her some tricks for coordinating people with money and those in need. Dasey didn't need much help though. She has an unusual hook for her promotional purposes, and it has led to something of a cult following on the internet while her prints make the money to bring in the big fish she needs for her efforts." Pepper stepped aside and her fingers toyed with the small slip of a remote. "I just wish Tony had watched this before the gala."

The screen came to life with a blur, and then a clear shot of Dasey. She sat in a wooden chair looking dead into camera in an empty room. Skinny jeans and a plain black t-shirt clung to her frame and she tucked her legs to hook her canvas sneakers. For a moment she simply looked into camera, and then heaved a sigh.

"This is awkward, right?" She grinned.

She leaned back in the chair. "I guess all beginnings are, so I am just gonna try to do this like a bandaid, ready?"

She quirked her brow and leaned forward slightly, "I'm Dasey and I'm dying."

She seemed to pause and giggled, "It's a weird opening line I know. Try it on a blind date and see."

Her shoulders relaxed as her laughter settled, "Some of you may have followed me through my procedures and watched me shave my head, interview my doctors, and try to photograph anything in my path at the hospital. Most of you though are probably just feeling really awkward right now, and that's ok. It's a totally normal reaction."

Her fingers curled into a fist under her jaw, "I have a brain tumor, and I have run out of tries to take it out. I shouldn't have made it through the last two procedures, but I did because my surgeon is a badass. I was diagnosed at 17, and death just took a seat on my shoulder like an annoying parrot."

She giggled again, "I don't know why we are all made so uncomfortable about dying. We are all gonna do it. I am just getting there faster than you losers."

She leaned forward with a twinkle in her eye and let one leg slide down to the floor. "So, what do you do when you know you are on borrowed time? What do you do when you know your life is royally fucked by death?"

She stood up and santered to the camera with a wicked little smirk, "I say fuck death, take your pants off, and lets have some fun."

The screen cut out for a moment to a collection of clips. Dasey was always laughing and smiling even when she was shoved out of a plane, tickling an alligator's chin, or hand feeding sharks. Nat took over the control, and seemed to skim it.

"She's an adventure blogger", Nat muttered moving over captivating images of places and people.

Pepper nodded, "Dasey has a gift, and she thinks her unique perspective gave it to her."

Steve looked between the women concerned, "But she's dying?"

Bucky rose silently at those words, and didn't wait for an answer. He heard a distinct ringing in his ears until he felt the warm water of the shower on his skin. Only then did it begin to fade, and he scrubbed himself roughly. It had been a while since he felt this rattled, and his right hand trembled when he secured a towel around his waist.

Once he stepped out of his bathroom he found Nat sitting on his bed. A certain glove hanging from one fingertip in offering to him, "You could still call her."

He worked his jaw in some effort to find words, but none came. So he settled for a glare. Nat was not deterred. She pressed on with a gentle tone, "I get that this is shitty news, but it could have been worse. This girl is used to living her life honest and out in the open. She would have assumed you knew. Imagine if you found out later?"

He snatched the glove, and sank down next to her. He closed his eyes, and took a breath, "And what happens if I call her?"

"Well, we know she likes you, and you don't act like a grizzly towards her, so I am guessing another date." Nat smirked.

"I don't want her in anymore danger than she already is", he closed his fist over the glove.

"She is a known friend of Pepper. She's kind of already in a certain ring of fire so to speak. Plus, she seems like the type to make her own choices, boldly." Nat gave him an encouraging smile and placed a warm hand on his shoulder as she stood to leave.

"Buck, I won't pretend that I can tell you what to do, but you should think about. Don't just shove it away." She gave him one last gentle smirk before she slipped out and closed the door behind her.

A week passed and Steve found himself concerned. Bucky had made some rather great leaps while in Wakanda. Shuri had managed to remove the words, the triggers that allowed someone to control Bucky. However, the Winter Soldier's memories were there and often were stronger than those of Bucky's own. It made it hard for Bucky to do things like a person rather than a puppet.

Buck could fight. He could follow orders. He followed a routine like any soldier, but living his own life was something he stayed far away from. Steve had made small unspoken goals for his friend, very small, reachable goals, when Thanos had fallen and those had returned from the "snap". Buck slept most nights, trained new agents though he did seem to enjoy terrifying them a bit. Steve let it slide because Buck was smiling, and the new agents weren't injured. Bucky was meeting those goals one by one.

Dasey had thrown a wrench in things though. She had appeared and sparked some piece of the old Buck. However, after Pepper's visit that spark fizzled, and it seemed like it left his friend scrambling for purchase. Buck was not coping well, and the Captain floundered a bit on how to help.

Girls had been Bucky's forte when they were kids. Steve could plan a mission, but he had avoided dating for a good long time until Sharon. Even then it had been a slow shuffle on his part. There had been no mistaking it though in the moments he actually saw them meet, rather comically, that the old Buck had twinkled back for a moment. If it had not been such an awkward moment he would have bet he could have seen the man flirt again. Then, Buck disappeared with her at the gala. He couldn't believe his ears when Sam told him Bucky called the girl dollface. Even after a mission, when Bucky was normally most brooding, those days he had seemed almost chipper.

Now though… Steve watched Bucky knock another punching bag into the wall where it smashed. His friend didn't move from his spot. His eyes glued to the plain wall of the training room just above the mess he had made. Slowly the dark haired super soldier turned to the new figure in the room.

Steve gave a nod, "Wanna talk about it?"

Bucky rolled his shoulders, "You're gonna have to be specific."

Steve sighed as he drew closer, "I'm guessing you didn't call her."

Bucky's jaw worked and his eyes flashed while his body grew taunt. Then, he released a long breath through his nose. "I can't decide if it's a terrible idea because of who I am or if it's a terrible idea because of who she is."

Steve lifted a brow, "Did the date go well?"

A smirk crawled over one corner of Bucky's mouth, "She bought me funnel cake."

That spark of old Buck was back in just that single thought, and Steve gaped. "So you had dessert, as in…"

Bucky's expression fell at Steve's clumsy attempt at innuendo, "As in funnel cakes, so when I kissed her she tasted like sugar. That is all. What in the hell has Sharon been calling things?"

Steve recovered quickly despite his friend's incredulous expression and grinned at the new intel, "So, you kissed her."

Bucky began wandering away with a shake of his head, but Steve was on his heels. "Buck, just give it a try. Good fortune doesn't usually walk up and well, smack you!"

Buck gave a snort, and rounded the corner to the stairs. He ran a hand through his hair as he wondered how Steve could give such brazen and empowering speeches before going into battle, but with women the guy was about as poetic as gum on the bottom of a shoe. Steve was not giving up and even though it was hours before dawn the Captain had energy to spare and babbled on until the door slammed in his face.

Once safely in his suite, Bucky pulled off his shirt and mopped the sweat from his face with it before discarding it. He gave his dresser drawer a yank, and a certain glove sat on top with bright red scribble as it had for a week. He tugged it out and dropped it on the wooden dresser top. It was a stupid idea, but he didn't have a better one.

His thumb swept over the phone, and he heard it ring a hand full of times. Just as he was about to hang up he heard it. That lovely voice he remembered so fondly. "Hi, you got Dasey."

"Morning doll", his voice was thick with tension, but he didn't care.

He heard her giggle, and felt his shoulders loosen. "Well, mister, I was beginning to think you didn't miss me at all."

He licked his lips before he answered, probably a little too honestly. "Oh, I missed you plenty."

She gave a mischievous little hum, but didn't comment further. He snagged the knife near his bed and tossed it in his free hand eager to occupy his racing mind. She gave a yawn, and mumbled something he didn't catch, but the sound of her voice growing soft made his stomach go taunt.

"What was that doll?" he asked quietly.

She yawned again, "Sorry, its bedtime here."

He tried to ignore just how appealing the idea of her in a bed sounded, "Where is here?"

"Hawaii", she was getting quieter.

"You gonna be there awhile?" He tried to match her volume in a gentle rumble.

There was a small rustling with an affirmative murmur, and he would wager she just nodded against her bedding. "Five more days."

"What's the project?" He sat on his own bed.

"Tomorrow is the fun volcano day", she sounded like she was smiling.

He barked a laugh, "Don't fall in."

She gave a giggle, "I'm making popcorn and smores at a lava fall for the project against death, but I am hoping for some underwater shooting days too."

He chuckled quietly and mostly through his nose at the image she conjured. He could hear her breathing evening out though, and he found himself smiling at the thought. "Goodnight dollface."

"Night Bucky", she sighed dreamily and he forced himself to disconnect the call.

He scratched at the scruff around his neck with the blunt side of the blade in his hand. Five days was a fair amount of time. Hell, he could do unspeakable things in two days if properly provoked. A pretty girl on a beach seemed like fair enough motivation for him to look for an opportunity.

Author's note-

So, first thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it, and I will update it soon. A huge thank you to those who have written reviews and left kudos! You guys mean the world to mean *Smooches*

This has now been put through its paces by my darling Dragon!

Reviews are incredibly important to me because they are my only real way to gauge the audience. I welcome all feedback, so please let me know how I did! Thank you so much for reading!

Love,

Violet Blak


	3. Chapter 3

**Death & Ms. Dasey**

 **Disclaimer** : The Avengers and all related characters belong to Marvel and their incredible creators. I make no monetary profit from this work it is only for entertainment.

 **Spoiler Warning** / **Author's Note** : I am being a bad and lazy fandom author for this little work. I really just want to write some fluff with plot that will turn into smut with plot. So! This work is set after whatever "fix" there will be created by the incredible Marvel cinematic universe. I am just running with the idea that Thanos has been defeated for a few years, and now that those that normally inhabit are trying to find their new normal.

 _If you aren't in over your head,_

 _How do you know how tall you are?_

 _T. S. Eliot_

 **Chapter 3: Take Your Pants Off**

It happened that he would be called away with Wanda and Nat on a small mission for reconnaissance in Korea. It was nice to just be watching things for once. The mission was simple and they were done in 48 hours with all the intel they needed. Nat had honed in rather quickly that he was antsy. The pair of women had looked up rather sharply at his request.

"Why do you want to be dropped off on Oahu?" Wanda smirked from her seat on the quinjet.

Nat sat in the pilot's seat spun around to look at him, toying with her phone, "You're not very subtle Barnes."

Bucky frowned at the screen she held up. Her phone showed the page Dasey ran, and it featured new photos of her roasting s'mores over a lava flow in a heat resistant suit. She smiling with the melting treat dripping from her fingers while a small fire roared on the open lava pit next to her. He tried not to spare more than a glance at the screen, and spun his wheels on how to negotiate.

"Oh! She is pretty", Wanda cooed snatching the device to scroll over the page. "She is such fun. How do I subscribe to this page?"

Bucky frowned and threaded his fingers. This was not going as planned. Not that he had much of a plan, but he had not seen it disintegrating quite so quickly. He rolled his eyes as Wanda was already on her on device no doubt subscribing to Dasey's website.

"So, did you call her or are we doing something extra dramatic to make up for you being so backward?" Nat asked, spinning around and powering on the jet.

Bucky blinked at the unofficial agreement, but then huffed. "I did call her."

"I think a day at the beach sounds nice, don't you Nat?" Wanda was still scrolling, eyes alight at Dasey's various antics on the feed but her question lingered.

"Yah, plus we can pick grandpa up after his date", Nat snarked, guiding the take off.

Bucky grumbled, but chose to focus on settling his nerves. His knee bounced to his right, and he stroked a hand through his hair a few times. Wanda set the phone aside, and glanced at him. A soft smile was set on her features, and she crossed the craft to sit next to him. He glanced at her and she put a warm hand on his bouncing knee.

"Is this your first date since before?" She asked gently.

He smiled to himself as he returned his gaze to his lap. She found a way to summarize all that had happened, all that had gone wrong into one period. He lived in the before and the now, the after. Wanda had used her powers to help him through his nightmares a few times when he first came to the compound with Steve. She was gentle and never held judgement. She understood fear too well all on her own. The witch was something like a kid sister to himself in their strange collection of strays that Tony and Steve kept collecting. He worked with her a great deal on how to make her a better fighter. She helped him feel like a brother, not a monster.

He swallowed, and a smile curved his lips. "Technically, this is the second. She took me out the night of the gala."

Wanda patted his knee and her eyes caught his, "Well then, we know she has good taste."

The sea was something that always set her at ease. The near weightlessness. The rhythm of the waves even on calm water was a subtle push and pull, swirling and reminding her that something greater was at work. Diving in particular was bliss. The pressure and ability to test yourself was glorious. Taking a deep breath, sinking, releasing precious air, and then when there was only just enough time, slowly rising. It was exhausting and pulled focus. It made everything more beautiful.

With her camera in its casing and her gear in place she couldn't be happier sinking to the bottom of the dive site she had chosen. It would be a few more hours before the tide was right to let her into the point of her trip, but in the meantime she was delighted by the colors and brilliant life on the shallow reef. The mid-day sun was casting a golden glow into the sea and made the creatures before her lense seem even more rare in the ethereal glow.

It was the kind of peace you couldn't pay for, or at least it was. There was a subtle change, at first the larger fish faded into the sunlight waves too far out for her to see. Then, the smaller fish scattered in a flurry like an underwater paint explosion. They paid no mind to her and swam in all directions, even taking cover beneath her. Then the golden light was blocked out, a dull hum churning through the water.

Her head cocked, catching several fish in her sea swept locks as she observed the shape that seemed to be not so far from where her boat anchored. The crew only comprised of two men, a father and son who owned the boat. They were friends from a previous trip, and worry twisted her gut. She swam carefully to the surface releasing bubbles as she went. It did little to help her see, and the closer she got to the surface the clearer she could hear shouting between the crafts.

The surface broke over her skin and exposed her to the warm sun. She shoved her hair back and mask off pulling in a lungful of air. With the sun nearly overhead she raised a hand to shield her eyes and see just what the hell had disturbed her nice day. Her legs swept in long arcs allowing the fins on she wore on her feet do the work of keeping her at the surface. Her free hand kept a tight grip on her camera-casing's handle and her mask.

"Dasey! Thank god", Ben called from the side of the boat.

Normally, she would have done more to reassure the teenage boy. Yet, in this moment she found all she could do was keep herself level in the water as her eyes took in the craft that hovered over the calm waves. A door had launched open and a familiar pair of grey eyes looked at her. There stood Bucky, and it appeared he had been working. He was dressed in a navy jacket with dark pieces at his shoulders. The whole left sleeve was missing and exposed his gunmetal prosthetic arm which glinted in this sunlight. His tan pants were tucked into combat boots and various holsters cinched at one thigh and more unknown items strapped near his boots.

His right hand swept through his hair, and he took a few steps down the ramp that the angle of the door created. Dasey tried to slow her pounding heart. A super soldier calls once and now he just shows up? Granted there was a kiss. A very, very nice kiss. A kiss that left her giggly for a few days, but then no call. Well, until a few nights ago. Now, there's just a ruggedly handsome cyborg staring at a girl bobbing in the ocean. Fuck, why was the ocean so clear? How is a girl supposed to get her footing in a situation like this? Why wasn't a better bikini selected for the day?

"Dasey, do you know this guy?" Ben senior called out lingering from the cabin of the boat. His normally calm demeanor slipping in the tense seconds.

"Yah, Mr. Ben." Dasey called out and swirled so the could flash both vessels a smile. "But I think he might be lost."

At this Bucky let loose a chuckle, and lifted a backpack to one shoulder. The craft rose slightly, and drew near enough for the super soldier to make a short leap onto the deck of the boat. Ben senior and junior watched him warily, but made no move to stop him as he drew near to the side with the ladder. In a few strokes, she met him there, and hauled up only the first few rungs of the ladder. Her mask and camera were shoved into the hand likely there to help her up. She watched him set them down, and then his shadow loomed over her again.

-POV Swap-

Bucky felt himself quirk a brow at the camera housing he was handed that had a familiar red marker scribbled on it, death. It shouldn't have made him smile, but it did. She had dubbed her camera Death. Dasey then handed him her fins, and he rolled his eyes at how quickly he was put to work by the petite woman.

"What are you doing here?" Dasey managed to smile and this time took his offered hand.

He lifted her with ease, and set her down on the deck on bare feet. Water rolled over her skin in a painfully delightful manner and her bikini clung to her. The black fabric made a small collar around her neck and while it covered her breasts it left a large open keyhole from the collar to the base giving him a delightful view of her cleavage. The bottoms dipped low on her hips, and he drew his tongue over his teeth at her taut abdomen and flared hips.

He still held her hand in his, and he used it tug her a bit closer. A smirk curled his mouth a bit, "Told ya' doll. I missed you."

She gave a little huff, but her eyes were dark and dreamy, so perhaps he had not lost his touch entirely. She gave a little smirk, "Whatever you say, handsome."

He let her guide him to a seat on the deck, and watched her slip inside the cabin. The two men there eyed him, but relaxed at her blushing explanation. The serum had fine tuned his hearing, and he enjoyed her clumsy way of explaining that the guest was a man she just started seeing. It was a surprise, and no harm was meant by it. She padded back to him shyly and plopped down next to him as the engines roared up.

"We are headed back in for lunch", she offered.

"I'm yours until midnight if you want", he smiled gently seeking to ease her nerves.

She gave a giggle, "I hope you brought something to change into."

He nodded before he leaned back and let his arms rest on the back of the bench. Dasey drew her legs under her, and began to wring the water from her long hair. Once satisfied she ran her hands through it and shuffled it against the wind from the boat that now ran at full tilt back toward shore. A giggle poured from her lips, and she leaned into him pointing across his frame to the other side of the vessel. A small group of dolphins squeaked and spun as they raced alongside the boat.

He dropped his arm to curl about her waist, and to his utter delight she let her cheek rest against his shoulder. Due to her pose it pressed her legs warmly to his, and he was less than pleased with the thickness of his current clothing. She was here though and willingly nestled into him. The fact that she was in a bikini didn't hurt either, but this was what he had wanted for days.

Even as he followed her onto the dock in what appeared to be a quiet strip of the island it didn't leave his mind. He could drop out of a quinjet and onto a boat, and she would smile. Granted, he garnered a few odd looks from others on the docks, but there were not many there to begin with so he wasn't concerned. Dasey tugged him along by their joined fingers, and he happily followed the short walk along the beach towards a set of bungalows. She led him to the third one, a nice jaunt due to how far spaced they were. They went up a few steps, and into the small space.

It was just a single large room, much like a studio apartment. There was only one door which she ushered him through to change. He lingered in the bathroom while he stripped. Her bathing products lined the shower wall. Even once dressed in the black swim shorts and a thin long sleeved athletic shirt to cover his arm he lingered. Her wooden handled hair brush and tiny glass bottle of perfume caught his eye as he shoved his gear back in the bag.

When he opened the door he found the redhead busy readying herself. Jean shorts of a small order had been pulled over her hips, and she was putting on a very thin wrap. She had forgone a shirt over her bikini and just allowed this new and painfully transparent material to drape about her shoulders and down her back. She turned to him while fussing with her mostly dry hair, now a voluminous coil of waves and ringlets.

There was something about her soft smile as she rose. He just couldn't stop himself from moving closer. Dasey for her part reached up for the embrace. Her arms curled around his neck and he felt her raise to her tiptoes to nestle into his shoulder. He melted into her quiet welcome, his vibranium arm at her lower back keeping her close while his flesh hand crept up her back.

"I can't believe you are here", she whispered as she leaned back just enough to peer up at him through her lashes.

He felt his pride swell a touch. He smirked down at her, "I told you doll. It's whatever you say. You say call. I will call. You say Hawaii and here I am."

Her smile faltered for a moment, and he felt the air of playfulness fall away. He watched her muster another smile, and wondered if this is what Steve and his own crew often felt. A knot tied in his gut, and he loosened his hold. "Do you want me here?"

Her eyes flashed and he felt her small hands fist in shirt, "Yes! You are ridiculous and wonderful for being here and I adore it… I am just not used to getting a second date from anyone."

Her words allowed him to release a breath he had been holding, but the way she tapered off felt like ice water on his neck. Dasey was nothing like him, but he knew that pain. He could almost taste it in her words. Rejection and revulsion were powerful and often fueled by fear. Her small hands were still fisted in his shirt though and she licked her plump lips nervously.

He leaned down to her ear, "Didn't kiss them like you did me."

That earned a little giggle, but her eyes lingered on his and he gave in. This time the moment their lips met she reacted. Her head tipped with a delicious and breathy noise and she rolled back up onto her toes. He hauled her closer and she parted from him with a soft click. She drew him down for another taste with the hands that had curled into his hair. Her lips drew over his in a slick open caress and she sucked on his bottom lip when he pressed her into the wall, unaware he had even been moving his feet. It drew a grunt of pleasure from him, and he took hold of the nape of her neck to plunder her sweet mouth.

She gave a sweet little whimper as she moved her velvety tongue with his. Blood was roaring in his ears when they parted again. He also learned that at some point not only had he backed her against the wall, but now one of those creamy thighs was draped on his hip and his flesh hand supported the underside. Dasey looked up at him with those dark sapphire eyes and flushed cheeks. She still had a hand in his hair and another cradling his jaw as she drew him down for a series of soft kisses.

"I missed you too", she mumbled between kisses, "But its still only the second date Bucky."

He chuckled and pressed a kiss to her shoulder where he could rest for a moment. She drew her leg away slowly to stand on her own feet and snickered at how his fingers flexed at the loss. Her mumbled apology made his hidden smile broaden. So, he hadn't been the one to wrap her around him, just welcomed it rather enthusiastically. Her creamy and very thin kimono style cover-up had fall slack to her elbows, and he enjoyed the way the milky flesh of her shoulder felt against his cheek.

A giggle pulled from her lips when he nuzzled a bit, and he risked pulling away. Even though the last time he made eye contact they ended up here. She murmured to him something about ticklish and brushed her fingers over his scruff. She swallowed, leaning back into his hand still at the back of her neck.

"See, this is why we need to go to lunch where there is food and talking, and things to do with our hands", she babbled adorably in her flushed state.

He drew his lower lip between his teeth as she removed her hands from his neck to straighten her flimsy cover-up. She looked delightfully disheveled and he wasn't eager to let her go, but she had a point. It had been a lifetime ago since he had tried to find a girl of his own. Even then, they were quick little courtships with the war looming. Never had he experienced this kind of chemistry.

He managed a nod to her little rant, and she slipped away from him. There was a pleasant moment where he watched her fluff her hair a bit before she held out her hand. He followed, like he was sixteen again, by their knitted fingers out of the tiny bungalow and onto the soft sand of the beach. Distantly he wondered what his shrink would say about all of this. It had taken him all that time in Wakanda to feel like he had a grasp on himself, but there was still a trudging struggle for normalcy. Touch, sounds, communicating were all things he tended to regress on out of stress.

Then this woman just came out of nowhere. She knew who he was, though likely only a little, but she still had every reason to be afraid. Instead she bought him funnel cake and dragged him along by the hand like a toddler. It was all a wall he had to fight to get through, this normalcy, but when she threaded her fingers with his it was as though she brought it down, for just that moment. He could focus on her and not on all the possible threats looming near, actual or otherwise. Steve had a similar effect but that came from a life-long friendship, and absolute assurance that while Steve was standing he knew someone was there to help him. It certainly fed his infatuation with the redhead at his side.

The sand was warm and soft under his feet as she walked at his side, the sea a constant rhythm accompanying them. Her small and soft hand was nearly swallowed by his own course palm. She didn't guide him into town. Instead he found himself in front of a taco bar on the beach. After filling his arms with food they found a quiet spot on the edge of the beach near the treeline for shade. Drinks were shoved into the sand to keep them upright as she began to unpackage all the food.

"So, am I allowed to know how on earth you got here?" she perked up, taking a swig of her beer.

A smirk curled his lips, "Afraid not doll."

She lifted a brow, "So you were working and just decided to drop by for the day?"

"Something like that", he grinned taking some of the fries she insisted on covering in queso which turned out to be a damn good idea.

"Have you always been this smooth?" She snarked laying back into the warm sand to look up at him.

He felt himself chortle, "There was a brief blip when I thought I was hot shit in the forties, but I'd say that time has past."

She shook her head at him with a playful smile and whispered in accusation, "That's the story you're sticking to?"

He gave a waggle of his eyebrows and she chuckled happily. The ex-assassin lounged next to her basking in the tropical warmth and ease the woman next to him brought about. She looked at him with amusement in her dark blue eyes and sat up on her elbows to take another swig.

"Do you like it now?" Dasey asked softly.

He frowned at the heavy question, but he was stirred quickly by her fingertips on his arm. Sand still clung to her skin and the grains danced over his own as she drew some unknown pattern on his forearm. He caught her eyes and he reached out to tip her chin up. Lost again he found his lips on hers in slow open kisses punctuated by her pretty sighs. He rested his forehead to her's and relished in the way that she made no move to pull from him even as his vibranium thumb stroked her jaw.

He drew in a breath, but his voice was still a little rough when he spoke, "It's getting better."

She rolled her eyes and sank back down to the sand under his gaze with a playful grin, "So, this whole charming thing must be like riding a bike then."

That made him laugh deeply and slide down next to her. The conversation was simple and an easy exchange. He learned she had an older brother and a younger brother. She smiled when he claimed Steve was a punk, but all he had for family. She fed him pineapple and he savored it from her fingertips. She unflinchingly explained that both of her brothers could give Steve a run for his money in terms of trouble. When he gave her a flat look she casually explained her older brother was due to be released from prison in a few months on good behavior based parol.

"Touche", he snickered.

She rolled onto her side and dangerously close to him. Her fingertips traced his left hand which he fought the urge to pull away. She followed the lines of the gold inlay Shuri had created over the vibranium. It allowed him easy lines to find for adjustments when he needed to do them himself. A smile played on her lips while she gently followed the gold lines at his knuckles and wrist.

"Can you feel that?" Dasey looked up at him with such genuine curiosity it made his chest tighten.

"Yeah doll", he managed quietly threading their fingers pulling another smile from her lips.

"Can you get it wet?" She smiled.

His expression must have given away exactly where is mind had taken that question. Though to be honest he couldn't help the wicked grin that pulled up one corner of his mouth and then the other. At least that would be his guess from the way she huffed at him and moved to clarify.

"You can swim with it?" She grumbled and pulled her hand away from his in order to jab one finger accusingly to his chest.

He didn't even try to school his grin as he nodded. Her cheeks were a lovely pink and he was enjoying it. She rolled her eyes and rose to her knees to tidy their picnic and ignore him.

"Are we swimming doll?" he joked and he moved to help.

She paused and watched him collect it all into the bag. Her smile returned, "I wanna show you something."

Author's note-

So, first thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it, and I will update it soon. A huge thank you to those who have written reviews and left kudos! You guys mean the world to mean *Smooches*

This has now been put through its paces by my darling Dragon!

Reviews are incredibly important to me because they are my only real way to gauge the audience. I welcome all feedback, so please let me know how I did! Thank you so much for reading!

Love,

Persephone


	4. Chapter 4

**Death & Ms. Dasey**

 **Disclaimer** : The Avengers and all related characters belong to Marvel and their incredible creators. I make no monetary profit from this work it is only for entertainment.

 **Spoiler Warning** / **Author's Note** : I am being a bad and lazy fandom author for this little work. I really just want to write some fluff with plot that will turn into smut with plot. So! This work is set after whatever "fix" there will be created by the incredible Marvel cinematic universe. I am just running with the idea that Thanos has been defeated for a few years, and now that those that normally inhabit are trying to find their new normal.

 _The heart of a man is very much like the sea,_

 _It has its storms, it has its tides,_

 _And in its depths it has its pearls too._

 _Vincent Van Gogh_

 **Chapter 4: You're Gonna Get Wet**

The boat bobbed lightly in the gentle water the father and son team had carefully set anchor in. Cerulean water surrounded the craft and the soft curls of the sea only made the shallow reef dance below the surface. The ex-assassin had made an effort to help the kind boatsmen, and learned that they had met Dasey through her travels. She always sent them very nice clients, and in exchange they were always quick to help anytime she was on the island chain. Ben senior was rather nervous about the dive.

The sailor explained that Dasey was set for a series of underwater caves near the reef. Up until a year ago it was illegal to go to them due to the lava flows curling under the sea and sometimes into the chambers. Dasey was impossibly excited to return now that the researchers had declared the flows had stopped for the time being.

Steel blue eyes watched the petite woman tinker with the housing unit for her camera. She cast him a soft smile as she gathered her things. A belt looped around her hips with small tools including a few fist sized cans of air, emergency reserves. He shook his head as she motioned him to take his own, not to mention the mask and fins she had dug out of the bowls of the ship cabin.

He had assured her that he was a strong swimmer and had fewer concerns over diving than her. She appeared less than convinced. He fumbled with an explanation for the reason for his previous dives, but she was happy to nod along. She had explained that she didn't use scuba gear unless absolutely necessary, and hadn't planned on it for this shoot. Dasey proved a bit bossy and focused now that she had slipped back into her work. It was delightfully disarming and he rather liked her ordering him about. It was almost relaxing.

His only tension came from the clothing, or lack thereof. It was a sinful sight, Dasey flitting about the ship in that bikini. The girl had an ass like a ripe peach and he was struggling not to make it obvious how much he approved of it. Why was everything stored in something that required her to bend and dig around for it? He swept his tongue over the edge of his teeth as she tipped at the waist to fish her diving watch out of the gear sprawled over one bench. He felt like a dirty old man, but he found himself unable to look away. No, instead he struggled not to allow his head to tip when the item was retrieved with a little wiggle of her hips resulting in a criminal bounce of the ample curves he had been admiring.

There was also the sinking sensation in his stomach as she looked up at him and asked if he was ready. He fisted a hand in his shirt as he nodded and turned from her. The fabric pulled over his skin and fell away to the deck. He frowned at the puckered scars that still ripped and crawled from where his vibranium shoulder was forced to his body. They remained a gruesome reminder to what had been done to him, what had been made of him. The new, dark vibranium still glinted in the afternoon sun, and he felt his jaw tick. His muscles bunched under the stress of the moment, and he braced for Dasey's expression to shift at the sight of him.

Dasey's dark cobalt eyes caught him when she turned. Her small hands were wrangling her mane into a ponytail. Her plush lips quirked into a little smirk before she seemed to catch herself and threw her gaze back to the bracelet on her wrist. Pink dabbled her cheeks, and that dextrous tongue swept over her arched cupid's bow. She seemed to check the thin cord of leather that secured a charm of some kind while she gathered herself.

The soldier felt his adam's apple bob through a thick swallow. His fingers twitched as his mind caught up to her reaction. That was not the pity or morbid curiosity he was accustomed to from those who tended to be kinder to him. No, in one quick glance Dasey made him feel pride, perhaps even a bit smug. His feet moved to where she was pulling on her fins and setting her mask around her neck. He hovered close to her at the edge where the boat had a step off.

"Ready?" she chirped, sparing him a quick glance.

"I'm just following you doll", he murmured.

The pink on her cheeks was in full force when she giggled. She fretted over her gear one last time before stepping over the railing to the step off that was bobbing in the water. She reached back for her camera, and adjusted her mask to her face with the other. Then, she slipped into the water. Bucky quickly followed quickly.

The sea blurred time. Dasey lead him through a series of dives. Simple drops toward the reef to get their lungs used to the holds. She offered advice each time they surfaced about the breath and pressure. Then, the drops began to take them to the bottom where she skimmed the colorful reef. Fish and flora swayed with little concern for them as she arced and swirled about before him. Her fingers motioned to rare and vibrant life as they passed until the rock began to over power the coral. There he could see the hollowed entrance of the volcanic cave.

Dasey lead him back to the surface where they floated for just a moment over the entrance. He remembered her instruction from the ride out to the serene location. They would swim through the channel of the cave where there would be air pockets. Her brilliant grin was enough to tell him it was time, and with a lungful of air he followed her into the shadowy cave. The channel took them up and soon he surfaced alongside her in the dark cave with only a sliver of light pouring in from the break in the lava rock that surrounded them. Dasey pushed him onward, and then to his surprise the light shifted.

The next chamber was far from dark. Pinholes of golden sunlight poured in from the dome above and the coral below glowed in shades of yellow and orange. Dasey pulled her mask down to hang about her neck as she sighed happily bobbing in the water. The sound echoed off the chamber walls over the quiet sound of the water lapping at the edges. The cave was larger than the bungalow she was staying in, and seemed to be cast in gold from the light and life around them.

"Wow", his voice was quiet as his legs churned slowly.

Dasey hummed in response, "This place has a very long and very beautiful Polynesian name that I won't butcher, but it translates to House of Heaven."

He hauled himself out and onto the thin rocky lip of the wall where he could sit and take in the sight. Quiet settled between them as Dasey focused on her work. She floated along the surface to take shots straight down before sinking to the corner below where he had hoisted himself. When she broke the surface she happily swam to where his legs still sat in the water, and used one of his knees to prop herself to show him the shots.

The images stole any hope he had for intelligent commentary. They were open and contrasted the blue water, the dark dome and pillars of golden light grounded by golden watery heaven. It welled up a sense of peace and tranquility that he had no way to voice. He instead hauled her up from her position in an unquellable need to embrace her. Her back was to him as he perched her on his knee and swept his arms around her. She gave a little squeak, but leaned into him with a giggle. His flesh hand crossed her torso to grip the curve of her hip where her soft, wet skin anchored him.

"Thank you", he murmured against her hair.

Dasey pulled off her mask and set it on the slip of rock with the camera before turning to him, her legs swirling in the water between his own. Her arms draped loosely around his neck. Distantly, he remembered all the ranting his psychologist used to prattle on about concerning touch, and how he had been only exposed to negative touch for so long. Always urging him to take advantage of positive physical touch when appropriate and in small measures to re-learn. Dasey's touch was not in small measure and he would wager it bordered on inappropriate for him, but he basked in it.

Her fingers carded through his hair to sweep it from his face and he leaned into it like a family dog. She remained anchored in his lap and blushingly leaned into him to trail her fingers about his face and neck. He savored the tingles her touch sent over his skin and the wonderful buzz it sent to his nerves. Well, until they grazed his shoulders. Pale grey eyes cautiously opened to observe her expression as her fingertips slipped over his collar bones and rounded both his shoulders.

Delicate fingertips brushed over his scars and a crease pinched between her brows. The corner of her mouth lifted on one side. Those deep sapphire eyes to his again and took in his tense expression with a tilt of her head.

"You were hiding these", she muttered still petting the damaged skin.

Bucky licked his lips, but remained quiet. Tension curled in his gut, and he watched her motion to the dome above them. Her voice was a clever chirp, "Even the land has scars… but sometimes that's the only way the light gets in."

His hands gripped at his purchase on her slick skin. Her serene expression seemed to be unshakable though, and she curled into him. A soft pale cheek rested against where his tanned skin met the angry scars. Her eyes fell closed and her wet lashes dusted her cheekbones. One hand though reached down to take his flesh fingers. For a moment, they tangled with his in further comfort, but then she tugged his hand to her face. Her fingers drew his over the curve of her jaw to her petite ears, and then just past the curve into her hair.

His breath hitched. Her hand dropped away as he traced the thin raised line. He found three more in the shape of a claw mark that spanned an area as large as his palm. She puffed out a sigh against where she rested on his shoulder, and curled closer. He rested his cheek to the crown of her head and continued to trace the scars hidden in her thick hair.

"I know it's not the same in anyway, but I know what it's like to be put back together again." Her lips whispered against his collar bones and he melted.

His hand swept down to cup her jaw and tilt her up to meet his lips. The kisses were chaste but full, lips passing over one another and capturing between in soft presses. He could feel her smile against him when he lingered. She pulled away with a giggle and pushed away from his hold to slip into the water. His lazy attempt to snatch her back was met with a splash. This sparked a small battle when he joined her in the once calm water to churn waves and she focused her efforts on smaller attacks.

His own deep laughter rumbled off the walls of the cavern when he snatched her to him. He happily supported her in the water as she wiped the water from his most recent attack away. A brilliant smile greeted him as she relaxed in his hold sure that he could support her in his arms. Her hands pulled her hair free of the tie and it dipped into the water around them like a ruby halo.

They played about and Dasey shot a bit more before her watch chirped. The soldier felt it difficult to leave such a place, but Dasey explained that the tide would move in again and make it difficult to leave if they didn't get a move on. They both reluctantly made for the vessel, and when they reached it the evening sun was slipping against the sea painting the sky in pink and red as it sank.

"Come on doll", he urged hauling her up from the steps.

Her fatigue was showing and she gave him a lazy smile when he set her on a bench seat. "Thanks handsome."

Bucky gave a smirk as they shed the gear for the warm towels. The ride back was short, and they wandered to the bungalow. Dasey didn't bother going inside. Instead she plopped onto the hammock that swung between two posts of the porch. A quick motion informed him he was to join her, and he happily eased in next to her.

Dasey leaned into his side as she watched the waves in the distance, "This doesn't feel like a second date."

He gave a snort and nodded in agreement curling an arm around her waist. He quirked a brow after a moment though, and nudged her. "What does it feel like?"

Dasey shrugged her shoulders with a sigh, "I never thought I would be happy about accidentally sexually assaulting someone."

A grin pulled at his lips and he leaned down to snicker, "Anytime doll."

She barked a laugh and gave him an incredulous look he bore with pride. Dasey dug her phone from the bag at her feet, and rolled her eyes. "Pizza?"

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

As a New Yorker it was bred into him to dislike anything besides the pies from home, but the box that lay beneath the hammock was certainly looking empty despite his best efforts. He laid back with an arm curled under his head and the other holding a piece of the bastardized pizza he was enjoying. Dasey sat up to eat her own and made cute little noises as she chewed happily. He let one leg hang from the fabric to the wooden boards to rock them gently.

"So, Steve has always been hunting trouble?" Dasey giggled, gazing down at him as he regaled her with the story of the last date he was on a lifetime ago.

"I can't tell you how many times I pulled him out of fights", he grunted from around the crust of his last slice.

"I'm sure you never got into trouble on your own", she quipped in a sing song tone.

"Hey, I had an old man in the army and three younger siblings to look after. I had plenty of trouble, but being friends with Steve meant I had to take up boxing just to keep up." He rolled his eyes at her implication. He had been a good kid for the most part.

She gave him an incredulous look, but quirked a brow. "So, you say you were hot shit in the forties, and your last date was then. What am I missing out on?"

He felt heat rise to his cheeks at the thought. The flitting fantasy of finding Dasey back then was enough to make him feel young and dumb again. A poke to his cheek was enough to break him from the misty idea that he had drifted into for a little too long. Dasey had crawled to lay next to him and propped herself onto an elbow to prod him back to the moment.

"I would'a wanted to show you off", he began softly.

He leaned a little more towards her to take in her quirked brow and smirk, "I would have pestered you to make sure that I could walk you home a few times, and bide some time to save up for a proper date somewhere nice. Plus, I would have buttered up your friends to know your favorite flowers too."

Dasey bopped his nose this time with her index finger, "Peonies."

Bucky snatched her wrist and toyed with her small fingers, "Then I would need to take you dancing."

That earned a giggle, "Need to dance?"

Bucky was glad his beard hid his blush, "Doll back then I wouldn't have been allowed to just spend time with you like this."

He smirked as he continued, "Dancing was how I could get away with holding you nice and close for a few hours and maybe even steal some kisses."

"Skirt chaser", Dasey snarked when he brushed a kiss to the back of her hand.

He gave a shrug, "I'd make plans to introduce you to Steve and my folks. Probably only tell you about Steve though, so as not to scare you off."

Dasey reared up at that to her elbows, "I am not really the kind of girl you take home to meet the family. You do remember how we met? I only get dumber when I am nervous. I remember babbling to Tony just because you were standing in my eyeline, and then I couldn't leave a room like a normal person."

Bucky chuckled at the memory, "You asked doll. I would have all kinds of plans for you."

Dasey gave a huff as she sank back down, "Yeah, yeah sarge."

He felt her cinnamon waves tickle his skin as she rested against his right shoulder. A sigh pushed past him in almost dizzying ease as her frame tucked into his side. She did not push to envelope him and kept her limbs softly curled to herself, but that warmth seeped into him from the subtle skin to skin contact. Her indigo eyes as dark and lovely as the night around them were soft and curious.

Time hummed along and he smiled when her voice grew quiet over a story about how Johnny almost got them both arrested the year before. He chuckled as he waited for her to explain how they talked the officer out of the charges, his eyes on the sky he could see from the lip of the porch's roof. The stars glittered and the constellations were stark contrast to the view he normally had.

Dasey shifted next to him and he gazed down to find the reason for her quiet was not to drive up suspense. Her even breaths parted her pink lips that rested just below his collar bone. Sleep softened her features into doll like serenity, and she curled closer to his warmth, no longer shy of his bare chest. One hand was pressed to his side between them spanning his ribs and the other rested on his scarred shoulder. Her plush chest rested over his side and he again felt like a very lecherous old man for enjoying the sweet torture her oh so soft and warm frame created against his.

He let his arm rest along her shoulder and perhaps urge her to remain close. His hand was free to play with her hair. There is still a hint of her perfume mixed with the salt of the sea on her skin, and he shamelessly dropped his chin to inhale where it lingered on her wrist. His heart sank as he when he caught the time on her watch.

He held his breath in some effort to draw out the the moments before he carefully shifted his weight. It took some doing, but he was able to rise from a hammock with Dasey in his arms. His heart ached when he laid her on the soft sheets of her bed. Her hands cured into the pillow to replace him as he covered her. A crease pinched her brows as she settled. Lashes fluttered before she blinked owlishly at him.

"You're leaving?" she mumbled, sitting up a little panicked and disoriented.

Bucky felt a smile tug at his lips as he eased her back down to the cotton sheets and his voice was soft in the quiet, "I'll find you again soon baby doll."

"Promise?" She sat up again throwing his efforts to the wind chewing her lower lip.

A smile curled his lips boyishly with a nod from where he was still perched against the bed, "I promise."

Dasey shifted forward and he happily followed her into a kiss. He did not intend for it to be any more than a chaste goodbye. Dasey however cradled his jaw in her hands and tipped her head. Plump lips moved over his with purpose and they paid special attention to his bottom lips before he complied with a sigh that she seemed to drink from his lungs. She made a plush little coo when he swirled his tongue into her mouth.

He had forgotten how much he loved kissing. It was a sweet kind of intimacy he had forgotten about in the longer years of his life. How even as they parted it could mean he was free to keep her close and breath in her fading perfume. Feel her linger not for more heated pulls but for sweet brushes and whispers of her lips against his. He tuckered her close and let his eyes fall closed while his pulse hammered along. Dasey made this all the more apparent when she nuzzled into his neck brushing her nose just below his earlobe. Her breath fanned over his neck in soft pants as she collected herself, and unknowingly unraveled him.

"I'll be in San Francisco next", her words pressed into that sensitive skin below his ear.

Bucky managed to pull back with a nod, "I'll find you doll."

He eased away from her, slowly savoring the last moments of her affection. Her cobalt eyes were dreamy and a soft smile curled her lips when he shouldered his bag. The door creaked open and he almost missed it.

"Be safe."

The words followed him out to the pier. Wrapped him up in the darkness. Sand still clung to his ankles when he boarded the quinjet. He didn't bother the hide his smile. The leather seats cool on his back as he nodded to Wanda.

"It went well then?" the Scarlet Witch smirked.

Author's note-

So, first thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it, and I will update it soon. A huge thank you to those who have written reviews and left kudos! You guys mean the world to mean *Smooches* Please, always let me know what you think!

This has now been put through its paces by my darling Dragon!

Reviews are incredibly important to me because they are my only real way to gauge the audience. I welcome all feedback, so please let me know how I did! Thank you so much for reading!

Love,

Persephone


	5. Chapter 5

**Death & Ms. Dasey**

 **Disclaimer** : The Avengers and all related characters belong to Marvel and their incredible creators. I make no monetary profit from this work it is only for entertainment.

 **Spoiler Warning** / **Author's Note** : I am being a bad and lazy fandom author for this little work. I really just want to write some fluff with plot that will turn into smut with plot. So! This work is set after whatever "fix" there will be created by the incredible Marvel cinematic universe. I am just running with the idea that Thanos has been defeated for a few years, and now that those that normally inhabit are trying to find their new normal.

 _Take a lover who looks at you_

 _Like maybe you are magic_

 _Frida Kahlo_

 **Chapter 5: Sealed with a Kiss**

The room was quiet, a soft, almost slumbering peace. It was one of the many reasons Bucky Barnes had chosen Dr. Vidya when he returned from Wakanda. Her office was full of wall to wall bookshelves and the chairs were worn and overstuffed leather. She rarely took notes and often brought homemade treats to bribe him if she thought it might be a bad session.

Vidya had been his salvation after a dozen shrinks who made him twitch. Even just meeting someone for an initial interview often left him feeling like he needed to re-arrange himself in his own skin so it would fit right again. Vidya was not like the others. She was not a threat. She in no way brought back the memories of those who would prod and test him between experiments and missions.

Her office smelled of snickerdoodle cookies, and she asked him very few questions on the first interview. She showed him photos of her two children and spoke of her husband. Vidya wanted to help him, and she wanted him to know that a case like his was a commitment. In the year or so that he had been back, he counted her as a friend. A friend who gave him very strange homework sometimes, but a friend.

The thirty-something woman was smiling at him over a cup of tea and he could feel her appraising him. "Are you going to tell me about her?"

He smiled, enjoying the lilting British accent she still carried. He sat on the couch with his legs spread wide so he could lean over them, his hands clasped loosely while his thumbs rolled over one another. It had been two weeks since he had met with her, and they always tried to keep their talks to once a week, even when things were going well.

"Her name is Dasey", he curled his lips over her name.

Vidya motioned for him to continue and settled comfortably into her chair, her patient maternal presence softening the tension in his shoulders. She poured him tea with no sense of urgency.

"She's young", he toyed with the cup in his hands.

"How young?" Vidya curled her legs under her.

"She's twenty-six", he took a gulp of the hot black tea letting the heat flood him.

"You were twenty-five when you went off to war", Vidya quipped.

He rolled his eyes at that, "I'm still around 101 these days."

"Bucky, you have to think about it in simpler form. Out of all that time how much of it were you actually awake? You may have been breathing, but you have only been awake for maybe ten years cumulatively, and only been you again for five of those years." Vidya stirred her tea.

Bucky lifted a brow, "So, you think I'm in my thirties?"

Vidya tutted him, "I am trying to point out that age, especially in your case, is relative."

He scoffed, and sipped his tea while he let the idea simmer.

"You are worried", Vidya eyed him like a mother hen.

He squirmed under the petite indian woman's gaze. "Never thought I would find a dame. Not after all that happened. Everything important is kept at arm's length from me because I am volatile."

Vidya blew a raspberry past her lips, "You are the most gentle man I know. Bucky Barnes is a man who watched over the village children during his recovery and has their art on his walls. I don't know how you ever became a sniper if your vision is that bad."

"I don't know why I tell you my secrets", he grunted.

She waved him off, "Does this budding new relationship feel difficult?"

He shook his head, "No. It's almost too easy."

"Don't call a young lady easy, it's rude", she smirked.

He regarded her flatly at the joke, "You know what I meant."

Vidya sighed and pushed herself to sit up straight. "Sometimes love is the easy part. There is no question that you will have challenges. I am sure you already are wondering how to talk to her about some subjects."

Bucky frowned, "Tony and Pepper might be the only happy love story to come out of my field, and even then…"

Vidya's eyes softened, "Everyone is different. The scary part is that we don't know how things will end. We just have to try. I can help you with how to cope, how to learn and how to talk about your needs in this new relationship. I can listen. I know enough about Dasey to know she has a challenge or two as well."

"You know Dasey?" he cocked his head.

Vidya shrugged, "I don't know her personally, but I know the publishings of her mother. Jackie Kelly was a big deal in the PTSD community for pushing specialized therapy, group therapy, and dietary needs over medication. I know Mrs. Kelly from seminars and such, and started following her daughter's artistic experiment years ago."

"So, you know?" He swallowed.

Vidya nodded, "Dasey is "on the clock", as her mother says."

"Any advice for dating someone who's … on the clock?" he chewed on the words ticking his jaw.

Vidya pushed out a sigh, "From a professional stance, relationships oddly function the same even when there is a stopwatch involved."

He lifted a brow, crystalline eyes curious, "And from a non professional stance?"

"Well, you should go at your own pace, and just enjoy each other."

Bucky frowned into the remnants of his tea and mulled over her words, "We have a lot of chemistry."

A motion of her hand urged him on.

"What if I hurt her?" His words were forced over pursed lips.

Vidya lifted a brow, "How specifically are you concerned with hurting her? Her feelings? Physically? In passion?"

Bucky set the empty mug down on the table, "I still have night terrors sometimes. I can't share a bed with anyone."

Vidya smiled unfazed, "You know there are a fair amount of studies that show sharing a bed with someone you trust could help with your night terrors." She mused for a moment and them presented a simple option, "You will likely need to take things slow with her until you both are comfortable. Communication will need to be just as important as chemistry, dear."

"Sounds like homework", he grunted.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

San Francisco in September was a dream. It was breezy and warm. No rain clouds in sight. The colorful city was ripe for her film. It was one of her favorite places to spend a week or so between jobs. The hills felt good under her boots, and there was a living, breathing art style to the area that made her feel free and eager. Plus, coffee just tastes better when cruising on a street car.

It was also home to one of her favorite stores in the world. She could say that with little sense of drama considering her lifestyle. Tucked in the northern edge and away from the sea lay her heaven on the West coast: a bookstore owned by a charming Italian family. A bell chimed from above the door when Dasey pushed past it.

The smell of aging leather and time softened pages filled her lungs. The resulting sigh was wistful and she did her best not to skip up the staircase to the second level. Shelves were filled with handmade journals, different designs pressed and braided the leather to suit one's taste. Each though had things she loved, things she now could not live without in her own personal notebooks. Things like perforated pages, winged pockets in the back, soft aged leather wrapped by hand, and her personal favorite: decorative page edges.

Her fingertips smoothed over the plush leather of a dark blue pair of such journals. They had a set of leather cords to tie them shut, and the pages were a soft shade of buttercream with faint lines for writing along. These notebooks were her special treat for herself every time she was in town, even if the current one wasn't yet full. She filled them with her wishes, ideas, and unremarkable to do lists. These held up though despite all her travel and they just made those little things she filled them with feel special.

Feet carried her to the counter with both journals. She couldn't part with either of them. A smile curled her lips as the elderly woman fished for her name from memory, and called her Mazie. Bag in hand and treasures wrapped she made her way back to her hotel as an idea spun together in her mind.

Bucky was clearly able to use technology. She had received a few text messages from him. However, they were brief and seemed to only be checking in. Seconds after her plane landed he inquired if her flight had gone well. She had sent back a "sir, yes sir." Then, nothing returned. Phone calls seemed to be better, but he had only called the once, and she felt a bit strange calling him since she had no idea what he might be doing. Thus, technology seemed to be something he certainly understood, but used minimally.

So, how do you get to know a man you don't really know how to talk to? Well, to be fair their banter in person was wonderful, but was often interrupted by kisses. Not that she was out to post a complaint about the gorgeous man making her toes curl from first base. Unfortunately, that wasn't how you got to know someone though.

What did she know about Bucky? Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes served with Captain America in the Howling Commandos in WWII. He was a sharp shooter. He was the oldest of four and born March 10, 1917. Those were the things in history books. From there it got murky and she felt odd prying at all into anything in reference to Hydra. How he was freed and his life up till now was still greatly kept under wraps and hidden.

Yet, after their little talk in the hammock she wondered. How could she meet him halfway? Writing a letter seemed like a simple solution. So much so that she thought about doing just that on the plane ride over the Atlantic. However, the idea was simple enough, but the process was far from it. Her mind ran ahead and realized anything she scribbled down would need to be handed off to him. Lord knows what kind of scrutiny his mail might be under if it went through any normal form of postal service.

Hence the journal. The beautiful navy blue leather made for a perfect canvas for the little endeavor. The words came from her smoothly. She poured out how she wanted to know him as much as he would let her. Chastised him for leaving her too weak kneed in person to ask coherent questions. Babbled about the bookstore and why she loved these journals and hoped he would too.

Then, came the challenge she had not expected. Letters are far more expressive even down to the final words. "Love" seemed too soon even if it made her heart flutter a bit. "Yours", seems nice but they had not actually stated they were in a committed relationship. She fidgeted over all the common closures and conclusions, but each felt too formal or stilted. She couldn't sign a letter "Best regards" to a man she can't keep her hands off of.

The letter set out on the open journal taunted her for a full day until she received another very short and charming call from the Sergeant himself. She rushed to finish and be ready now that she knew he would be there so soon. Her perfume rolled between her wrists and smoothed to her neck before she collected the cherry colored lipstick. The rouge was applied with care and blotted once before giving herself a final once over. A smirk curled her lips as she pulled the journal and it's taunting last line towards her.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Bucky liked San Francisco. His grainy memory told him he had been here before, but never like this. Dasey had been so excited on the phone and yet he still felt his steps remain measured. He knew where she was. The hotel was near the coast and the vast difference between this new beach and the previous one pricked at his senses.

Cold water churned not far away and the white swirl rose in curls on the waves. Even with the warm weather he felt different. For five days he had swallowed down every urge to call the pretty redhead. He was desperate not to overwhelm her. Even in the new compound he was surrounded by what Tony called "misfit toys". It was a rude nickname, but it drew a curl to his lips at how painfully appropriate it was.

He felt personally that he had little luck at finding any traditional happy ending, and he had been able to accept that. Until Dasey knocked everything sideways. Now, eager to get his new barings he found the terrain rough. Tony and Pepper had indeed made things work, but it had been a bumpy road. Steve was in a relationship with Sharon in theory, but he couldn't remember the last time he saw both blondes in the same room. Hell, the god of thunder had been dumped by a human woman. Nat and Bruce seemed to circle each other, but he never saw them at ease with each other, happy.

It was natural to take that look around. Yet, there wasn't a single relationship like the one he aspired to. When it boiled down to it he wanted what he grew up with. His parents had a happy marriage. They fought, but he never saw them lash out cruelly against one another. His mother had been strong and smart, and his father doted on her. Mr. Barnes had been a by the book man made by the Army, but he seemed down right smitten with his wife all the way into Bucky's last memory of them. It was a source of great embarrassment at times too. Steve and himself had caught his parents canoodling more than once when they came home from school.

The historic hotel caught his eye as he crossed the street. It was late in the afternoon and he was eager to see Dasey despite his less than productive pondering. She stood out front wrapped in a buttercream jacket and dark jeans that could have been painted on. His heart rate rose as she smiled at him nearly causing him to falter in the middle of a crosswalk. Her hair was pulled up and away from her face in a ponytail leaving crimson waves to fall here and there while her bangs were fluffed against her brows.

Candy apple red lips curled up as he came within reach. It was almost without thought that he pulled her to him, her frame happily curling about him and burrowing into his chest. Her giddy little noises were pressed right to his heart.

"I missed you doll", he murmured into the crown of her hair.

Dasey teased, "You say that now."

"Should I ask what you have planned this time?" He grinned down at her.

She took his hand with a grin, "Lets go!"

Several blocks later Bucky found a pleasant surprise. The old wharf looked like something from his own childhood. It was packed with old fashioned games, boardwalk food and shops. An hour passed with them moving from game booth to game booth. Dasey's arms were now filled with ridiculous prizes. A break was called at a ball and bottle toss after he obliterated the bottles rather then knocking them over. Dasey might have been smiling at him with her bottom lip pulled between her teeth when he just for a moment forgot his own strength.

The situation was smoothed over, so the pair moved on to a churro stand. Sweet kisses were stolen as they lounged on a bench, Dasey curled into his side with his arm wrapped over her shoulder.

She hummed against his side, "You're so warm."

He rubbed along her arms and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. They fell into companionable silence for a few moments before he smiled down at her, "Can I bring Steve next time?"

She blushed, "I don't think I could stop you."

He toyed with a lock from her ponytail, "I want you to get to know him."

Her expression softened from nerves into a warm smile, "Bring him then."

He cocked his head, "Pepper hosts lots of parties where the Avengers and accessories are dragged along. How did it take us this long to meet?"

Dasey gave a laugh, "Pepper and I became close over the years, but the tower has always made me uncomfortable. My father was an engineer for Shield back in the day, and it didn't end well. That whole world makes me uncomfortable, so I always met up with Pepper for coffee or while away. The handful of times I did go to the Stark tower the security was so intense that I felt like there would be a strip search before I got a cocktail. So, I avoided it whenever possible."

Bucky gave a snort, "I wonder if that would liven up those things."

"Now, if I had known you would be there it might have been worth the strip search", she teased, prodding his ribs before Dasey continued with a nod, "I know Pepper is a workaholic and sometimes an event is the only way to see her. I just stuck to the small ones. Almost never at the Tower though. I always felt like a lab rat with all that glass and metal."

He chuckled, "The compound is not much better."

The pair made their way towards a diner to warm up and have some dinner. Coffee, waffles and chili cheese fries were an odd combination, but as he soon learned, a very good one. Dasey was relaxing from her spot under his arm when her hands shot to her face.

"I almost forgot!" She chirped and dug around in the purse to her side.

He watched with curiosity as she pulled out a small parcel. It was covered by thin, plain brown paper and pushed into his hands. Judging by the size it was a book, and he felt his cheeks warm. A gift, she brought him a gift.

"I was at my favorite place here and I just thought you might like it", her shy grin made his heart stutter.

The paper peeled back easily, and he was greeted with soft leather. The texture was almost velvety with the quality, and dyed to a rich navy. The braided brocade that tied it closed drifted back and forth as he turned it to look at the pressed patterns on the back. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Journals were his way of collecting his memories after he escaped HYDRA. Once he found a place to stay in an abandoned building he scribbled his racing thoughts on napkins, and later as he found more stable places he got his hands on cheap and simple notebooks. He sketched a little, and over time he organized them into a spotty timeline. When he ran from his tiny hole in the wall apartment in Bucharest all he had in his backpack were those journals.

Moments had slipped by as his mind raced, and Dasey faltered, "I'm sorry if its weird. You don't have to take it if you don't want it…"

His grip tightened on the book, and he interrupted. "It's perfect sweetheart."

She visibly relaxed and placed a hand on his arm. Her dark sapphire eyes were soft and sweet. She didn't pry or question. Her lips quirked up and she teased, "Sweetheart?"

Bucky lifted a brow, "What else should I call my girl?"

Dasey blushed at his suddenly recovered swagger, "That'll work for now Sarge."

Laughter bubbled up from his chest and he pulled her in close. They returned to canoodling in the diner booth until it closed. The couple exchanged stories over their cold coffee while tables were wiped down, and left only when the lights were switched off. Neither eager in their path back to her hotel, but the closer they got the more the mood shifted.

First, it was the way his vibranium fingers fluttered on her side as they walked and toyed over hip when they paused at the occasional street. Which lead to quick kisses as they waited to cross, and by the time they reached the elevator there was a static energy surrounding the pair. When the doors closed it sparked.

His frame pressed her against the cool metal doors and she sighed against his full lips. The slow moving lift eased along as a hand arched her into his chest the other gripped the back of her head as he nipped at her. When the ding rang through the small space he didn't pull back. The hand in her hair dropped to her thigh and hauled her up.

A squeak pushed past her lips and her legs wrapped around his waist less out of passion and more for some sort of stability. Bucky moved unbothered toward the door she had told him earlier. Her little eep made him smile as he moved his attention down the side of her neck, the soft coo in his ear egging him on.

Her back eased against her door, and her limbs coiled around him in some effort to pull him even closer. His coarse palm swept up her thigh to find a wicked grip on her plush derriere. She responded by dragging her teeth over the curve of his ear and tugging on his hair. The rough noise from his throat was sinful.

His lips found hers again before he finally eased back, but only enough to rest his forehead against hers. Slowly, he brought both hands up to her shoulders, fingers skimming her sides on the way. She gathered in air as his thumb stroked the skin from behind her ear to the back of her neck. Her hands rested against his heaving chest while her legs struggled to keep her upright.

He licked his lips and pressed his metal palm to the door on the other side of her head, "I need to take this slow with you doll."

The words rumbled past his lips and took a moment for her mind to sort them out. Once they did a crooked smile pulled her lips as she leaned into the hand still petting her neck, and in a voice breathier than she would've liked, "Whatever you want."

A chuff puffed past his lips followed by a choppy whisper, "Doll, don't say that. You'll end up with my last name."

She giggled a bit and stole a quick kiss before teasing, "Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes, I thought you wanted slow?"

He smiled at the way she dramatically gave his full name. It cleared his head a little, and helped him form a sentence. The words fell from his lips in slow measured syllables. "Dasey, you're the first since before, and I don't want to rush in and get lost. You're special and…"

She hushed with a hum, and threaded her fingers behind his neck anchoring him, "No rush James."

He melted into her a bit. His broad frame sinking down for another lingering press of lips. One arm hovering over her head and the other cradling the nape of her neck, so he could swirl their tongues and savor her. Surrounded and swimming in his affection she made no push to change the languid pace.

Her hand cradled his jaw when they parted, and nudged her nose against his, "I thought you were leaving Sarge."

He grumbled, and eased away from her letting her hands be the last thing to connect them as he backed away. "Yes, Mrs. Barnes", he teased with a smirk.

They held each other's gaze as he backed into the elevator, the static gathering in the air between them again. It seemed like he might rush her at any moment, and he gripped the open doors of the lift as he willed himself the last step. Then, ever so slowly he leaned forward with a bashful glint to his eyes.

"Sweetheart", he whispered, "Call me James again?"

She bit her lip as she reached behind her for the door handle, and all but purred, "Goodnight James."

He eased back to the elevator and chewed his lip as the doors closed. Pale blue eyes burned and he muttered, "Fuck."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Later that evening Bucky settled on the edge of his couch. Steve sported that knowing grin as he inquired after the date. The Captain was eager to know how it went. Eager enough to pester him in the early hours before sunrise when he got back to the compound.

He couldn't bring himself to given any detail. They were his secrets and he wanted them all to himself. His fingers smoothed over the creamy pages of the journal she had given him.

"Don't kiss and tell", Buck muttered.

Steve gave him a good hearted shove from his place next to him. There was a distinct flutter. The wobbly sound of paper floating over air. Bucky plucked the page from the air before it touched his carpet. His eyes scanned the page brimming front to back with tidy and crisp cursive. Crystal blue eyes pinned to the red print of her lips at the end, and he swallowed thickly.

Steve's chuckle faded and the blonde smiled softly as his friend read the page. It turned in Bucky's metal fingers with care as he swept to the end. Flesh fingers traced the kiss mark with affection, uncaring about the audience. The reverence from Bucky was not lost on Steve. Afterall, when Steve went to save Bucky back in Romania those years ago the first thing he had found was a journal.

A soft smile pulled at Bucky's mouth, "You gotta meet my girl."

Author's note-

So, first thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it, and I will update it soon. A huge thank you to those who have written reviews and left kudos! You guys mean the world to mean *Smooches* Please, always let me know what you think!

This has now been put through its paces by my darling Dragon!

Reviews are incredibly important to me because they are my only real way to gauge the audience. I welcome all feedback, so please let me know how I did! Thank you so much for reading!

 **Finally, a note on Endgame.** This story will not be compliant for obvious reasons if you have seen it. I'll make a more formal note on this later, when I won't be ruining it for anyone who might not have had a chance to see it yet :)

Love,

Persephone


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